Gautam Gambhir promises Karun Nair a long rope, unlike his initial run: 'Will not judge someone by just one-two Tests'

Hindustan Times

18 hours ago

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir has asserted that the team management will give comeback man Karun Nair a decent run to showcase his talent on the big stage against England in the five-match Test series. Karun is called back to India's Test squad for the England tour for the first time after 2017, and with the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, he has a golden opportunity to cement his place in the red-ball set-up.
Nair grabbed the attention of selectors once again after an imperious show in domestic cricket last season. He forced his way back into the Indian team after scoring 863 runs in nine Ranji Trophy matches with four centuries, and piling up 779 runs in just eight innings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which included five hundreds.
The stylish batter also made a statement with a double century in India A's first unofficial Test against England Lions. Nair came out to bat at the number 3 position and scored 204 runs of 281 balls, which was embellished with some classy strokes as he hit 26 fours and a six.
Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed the media before departing for England, where he heaped praise on Karun for grinding in domestic cricket to make a comeback into the Test side.
"It's great for the future of domestic cricket because all the youngsters who are playing domestic cricket know the importance of domestic cricket. If you keep doing well in domestic cricket, those doors are never shut. It's always good to have the experience of a guy who's played a bit of county cricket. There is when he is in a very good form, where he's got a 200 for India A," Gambhir said in the press conference.
Gambhir further stated that the team management will back Karun and give him enough chances to showcase his talent.
"We will not judge someone by just one or two Test matches. I think if someone has scored heaps of runs, I think he will be given a decent run so that he can showcase his talent at this level as well," he added.
After scoring a triple century against England in 2016, Karun only got to play three more Tests and was dropped from the Test squad after Australia series in March 2017.
The head coach asserted that Karun's red-ball experience, along with the county cricket he played in the past, will be handy for India.
"So it's always good to have players, especially who are in good form, who are among the ranks as well. So his experience will come in handy, and hopefully, he can deliver," he added.